Characteristics:

Brittle stars usually have five slender, flexible arms used for for locomotion. Like the sea stars, the arms are connected to a central disk. Another commonality is that mouth is found on the underside of the disk. It is rimmed by five jaws and functions as an anus as well as a mouth - a combination also known from other echinoderms.

Taxonomy:

The brittle stars are close relatives to the sea stars. They are members of the same subphylum, Asterozoa. The brittle stars are organized in two orders: